The series -- which has already sold to territories including France, Germany, Italy and Russia -- landed at the network in a competitive situation. Rising Star gives the audience the final say in real time. The series follows a group of aspiring singers as they audition in live performances. During the performances, viewers vote using a real-time application to determine if the act should advance. The immediate feedback can be seen by the artists during their performances on a giant wall, with viewers appearing via their Facebook pages.

Rising Star, from Tedy Productions and Keshet Broadcasting, debuted on Israel's Channel 2 in the fall to a phenomenal 44.7 percent market share in primetime, seven times the rating for its nearest competitor. Ratings have actually increased since, topping 49 percent for the third episode.

Because voting takes place in real time, it's unclear how producers will work around the three-hour East and West Coast time difference in the U.S. Rising Star has been sold in the Russian market, which has seven time zones. But so far, it has aired only in countries with a single time zone.

Unscripted programming is one of multiple approaches the broadcast networks take for the traditionally low-rated summer viewing months. Rising Star will join the second season of low-cost scripted drama Mistresses in summer 2014.

Rising Star will arrive as Fox's American Idol, The X Factor and NBC's The Voice traditionally sit the summer out.